Today on the podcast:
Padraig O’Hora is an intercounty footballer with Mayo.
He uses his social media platforms to talk about important topics such as mental health, youth justice and inclusion, and diversity.
In today’s show, we go into mental health, breaking the taboo, and toxic masculinity for men and sports people when it comes to speaking about it and the importance of knowing you are not alone if you’re struggling.
I think this is a very important episode so please share it with whoever you think will benefit from it.
Episode Outline
- 06:20 His childhood and how it made him who he is today
- 09:00 What “resilience” really means
- 12:27 Why you need to speak to someone if you are struggling
- 15:24 “Anxiety” as a feedback tool
- 18:06 How sport improves mental health
- 21:03 Working on the youth diversion program
- 26:32 How he developed his emotional intelligence
- 29:42 Building your resilience and sense of gratitude
- 32:19 How to not get too high on the highs or too low on the lows (in sport and in life)
- 39:36 Why he is passionate about inclusion and diversity
- 43:32 His biggest lessons learned since beginning his career
Key Points
- Contrary to most people’s beliefs, resilience is less about being tough and stoic and more about focusing on self-care, self-awareness, empathy, and relationships. A resilient person is someone who is willing to expose themselves to challenge and risk, and to face failure. Likewise, anxiety is neither a good nor bad thing, but rather can be used as a feedback tool to assess what’s worth taking a risk on, and offers insight into skills or qualities you might need to improve on.
- If you want to build your emotional intelligence. perspective is everything. We all live unique lives and each of us sees the world through completely different lenses. Take the time to reflect on how you react and interact with others, get clear on your biases, and then put yourself in other people’s shoes. By seeing the situation from the other person’s point of view, you will be better able to empathize with them, avoid judging them, and even begin to support them and build a healthier relationship.
- Positive relationships are vital. You need people who can keep you on the straight and narrow, who can bring you down when you’ve gone too far. The only way you develop such a relationship is by being just as supportive to the other person. You get what you give. Nobody will be there for you unless you’re there for them as well.
Powerful Quotes by Padraig
- Everybody wants to be known as “resilient”, but very few people want to expose themselves to the things they need to in order to build resilience.
- I always found it way more challenging running on a treadmill because you can get off anytime. My primary reason for running is to build up mental resistance.
- Anxiety isn’t as much a condition or a mental health issue as it is just a response to reality.
Guest Info
Padraig O’Hora